Centric Brands is expanding its operations with the acquisition of select assets of Fownes Brothers & Co.
As part of the deal, the brand management firm purchased operations, assets, and intellectual property pertaining to the design, development, sourcing, production, sales, and distribution of existing product lines in the cold-weather accessories category from Fownes Brothers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
As part of the acquisition, Centric Brands will assume key licenses including Ugg, Timberland, and Cole Haan, as well as private label manufacturing agreements with The North Face and Lululemon.
First established in 1777 as a premier leather glove manufacturer in Worcester, England and family-owned by Tom Gluckman and the Gluckman Family, Fownes Brothers is a premier importer and distributor of licensed and private label cold-weather accessories.
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Family member Andrew Gluckman will join the Centric Brands team as senior vice president and division head of cold-weather, overseeing the acquired licenses and supporting the continued growth of the broader cold weather accessories division.
“We are excited to welcome Andrew and the Fownes Brothers legacy into Centric Brands,” Jason Rabin, chief executive officer at Centric Brands, said in a statement. “Our growth strategy is built upon developing powerful, scalable brands across key categories, and this acquisition meaningfully advances that approach. By integrating the Fownes Brothers business into our accessories platform, we are expanding our capabilities, accelerating scale, and positioning the business for sustained, profitable growth.”
Jarrod Kahn, group president of accessories at Centric Brands, added that by integrating these licenses and private label relationships into Centric’s portfolio, the company is “well positioned” to expand its accessories business.
“This acquisition strengthens our ability to drive category leadership, optimize sourcing and production, and deliver differentiated product across multiple retail channels,” Kahn noted.
Tom Gluckman, co-founder of Fownes Brothers & Co., noted that this move marks a new chapter for his family’s company. “Our family is proud of the legacy we have built in cold-weather accessories, and we are thrilled to bring that expertise and our valued partnerships into Centric Brands,” he said.
